Paper Topic:

The protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism

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The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism

Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (1864-1920 ) was a renowned German political economist whose works are still influential in the field to date . He is credited among the founder of the modern study of public administration and sociology . In his analysis on religion , Weber wrote an essay on The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism wherein he argued that religion has largely shaped the different cultures of the world creating differences between the eastern and western cultures . It

is religion , according to him , which brought about the spirit of capitalism and bureaucracy in the western political culture

Protestantism and capitalism are social aspects that intermingle at several places

Protestantism is often associated with revolution and anarchy . It refers to a form of Christian faith holding principals of reformation Reformation is this context refers to the revolution in the Christian realm which happened ion the 16th century in protest against some principles of the Roman Catholic Church . The leaders of the reformation established the protestant movement to run parallel to the Roman Catholic Church . The term is not used in reference to any particular church , but for the group of churches excluding Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy

Early Protestantism was characterized by the acceptance of the Christian holy book as the only source of absolute truth . They believe in universal priesthood and that faith is the only justification of one 's relationship in God . It is therefore a sin to doubt God and the provisions poof the Bible

Capitalism on the other hand is an economic system that believes in the free market mode of business . A capitalist society is characterized by minimum state intervention in economic activities . Capitalists argue for the control of the economy being effected by market forces , where an entrepreneur engages in a capital investment to earn profits . Morality in such cases is relegated as the businessman is strictly after profits In such a society , people should work extra hard to harness the benefits an economic venture

There is however no society that can be fully capitalist . In all societies , the government has to intervene to inculcate an ly environment for business to flourish . It has to create where there is , and establish a society of understanding , not the state of nature argued by Thomas Hobbes where life is short , brutish and involves a war of all against all . A capitalist system encourages hard work Individuals are competing against themselves , and a social welfare tendency is mostly a marketing strategy

The bible is clear in support of capitalism . In the parable of the servant who was reprimanded because he did not invest the shilling he was given , Christianity is clear that people should be hard working and invest more . The bible goes ahead to say that whoever dies not work should not eat . This is the spirit of capitalism based on the principle of toiling and consequences of laziness faced by individuals and not...

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